College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 700
April 7, 2004

Recommendation:

The Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee recommends that the Faculty of the College of Letters and Science recommend to the Dean approval of the request for authorization to implement a major in microbiology, as outlined below.

1. PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION

1.1 Title of the Proposed Program: Bachelor of Science, Major in Microbiology
1.2. Department or Functional Equivalent: Biological Sciences
1.3. College, School, or equivalent: College of Letters and Science
1.4. Timetable for Initiation: Fall 2005

2. CONTEXT

2.1. History of the Program:

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a broad interdisciplinary department that was formed in 1985 by the merger of the Departments of Botany and Zoology and the Microbiology Program. A revision of curriculum was undertaken in the context of the merger. A new biological sciences major with general biological sciences and microbiology options was developed at that time. In response to a 10-year review, both options of the biological sciences major were revised in 2004. Now in conjunction with the Biotechnology Initiative, it is appropriate to develop the microbiology option into a distinct major. The needs of students in microbiology are different from those in the broad interdisciplinary general major in biological sciences and would be better served by a microbiology major. The microbiology major will have different requirements in the biological sciences and additional requirements in chemistry and physics. It will meet the needs of students in southeastern Wisconsin by providing them with an educational background that will prepare them for many career paths including the biotechnology industry.

2.2. Instructional Setting of Program

The proposed microbiology major will be housed in the Department of Biological Sciences; it will replace the existing microbiology major option. There currently are ten faculty members and one member of the academic staff involved in the microbiology curriculum within the Department of Biological Sciences. The resources currently supporting the microbiology major option will support the new major. The proposed major is consistent with the curriculum guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology.

2.3 Relation to Mission Statement and Strategic Academic Plan

The proposed microbiology major supports the University of Wisconsin System mission "to develop human resources" and to "discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses." It also supports the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's mission, particularly as follows:

To fulfill its mission as a major urban doctoral university and to meet the diverse needs of Wisconsin's largest metropolitan area, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee must provide a wide array of degree programs, a balanced program of applied and basic research, and a faculty who are active in public service.

To develop and maintain high quality undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs appropriate to a major urban doctoral university.

To establish and maintain productive relationships with appropriate public and private organizations at the local, regional, state, national and international levels.

To provide educational leadership in meeting future social, cultural and technological challenges.

The proposed program will serve these aspects of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's mission by meeting the following objectives:

• to provide residents of southeastern Wisconsin with a curriculum preparing them for advanced studies in microbiology or a career in the growing field of biotechnology
• to further undergraduate research within the Department of Biological Sciences;
• to produce graduates that will fill a growing need for trained microbiologists in the biotechnology industry; and
• to showcase the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the biotechnology arena.

Increasing the prominence of the campus in the field of biotechnology and establishing symbiotic relationships with Milwaukee area industries both are significant elements of the University of Wisconsin's Strategic Plan. The increased visibility that will attend the new major serves these interests directly.

Microbiology is both a basic and an applied science; it is the basis of biotechnology. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee draws students largely from the metropolitan region, and the majority of its graduates remain in the region. Graduates of the proposed program will be prepared to participate in the development of the biotechnology industry in the metropolitan area. They will be trained members of the workforce for this sector, which is expected to be important in economic development in the region. Placement of graduates of this program in positions in the biotechnology industry will build ties that will facilitate productive relationships and technology transfer.

2.4 Program Array History:

3. NEED

3.1 Comparable Programs in Wisconsin

Several institutions in the University of Wisconsin System offer degrees (tabulated below) that are similar to the proposed microbiology major. The proposed major will not overlap with these programs because the focus of some of them is different, and the proposed University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee program will serve the regional population of southeastern Wisconsin. The proposed program will focus on general microbiology and biotechnology. Compared to the other Wisconsin programs listed below, it is most similar to that offered by the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

UW-Parkside also serves students in southeastern Wisconsin by preparing them for careers in aspects of biotechnology, but it does not offer a microbiology major; it offers a BS in molecular biology and bioinformatics that has a different emphasis. It requires only four credits in microbiology. Given that the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee already has the microbiology major option, the approval of the new major is not creating a competitor for the Parkside program. Furthermore, the growing demand for microbiologists/biotechnologists in southeastern Wisconsin is expected to absorb the graduates of both programs.

Undergraduate Microbiology Majors

3.2 Comparable Programs Outside Wisconsin

There are a number of microbiology programs in neighboring states (tabulated below). None of these directly serve southeastern Wisconsin and only those within the University of Minnesota system would offer tuition reciprocity for Wisconsin residents. The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities offers a B.A. and a B.S. in microbiology intended to prepare students for work as practicing microbiologists or graduate work.

3.3 Regional, State, and National Needs

There is an ongoing need for graduates trained in microbiology. While the U. S. Bureau of Labor statistics does not make employment projections for microbiologists in particular, it is informative to evaluate projections for biological scientists and medical scientists - two occupations that overlap with and include microbiology. The projected ten-year growth in these occupations for 2002-2012 is predicted to be 21-35% for medical scientists and 10-20% for biologists.

Wisconsin has a long history in microbial-based industries. Biotechnology is a rapidly growing industry in the United States and in Wisconsin. At the second Wisconsin Economic Summit, held in Milwaukee in 2001, biotechnology was identified as one of the industrial clusters to serve as the basis for economic development in Wisconsin. Microbiology is central to biotechnology, especially in Wisconsin. Evidence for the importance of microbiology is the fermentation production of both commodity and specialty products by companies such as Bio-Technical Resources (Manitowoc), Molecular Biology Resources (Milwaukee), Wisconsin Bioproducts (Milwaukee), and Lasaffre Company (Red Star Yeast, Milwaukee). Other regional companies involved in biotechnology include Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park IL), Pierce Chemical Co. (Milwaukee and Rockford IL), Promega (Madison), EMD Novagen (Madison), and Invitrogen (Madison).

There is a concentration of microbiologists in Wisconsin. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Madison is ranked second (to the Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia area) among metropolitan areas employing microbiologists. This no doubt is a reflection of the impact of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on this region. The proposed major in microbiology at University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee can contribute to economic development in this sector. In evaluating the request for an entitlement to plan a major in microbiology, Dean Elton Aberle of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences stated (in remarks communicated by Jocelyn Milner), "The proposed BS degree in Microbiology would be very similar to the BS in Bacteriology offered in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Even with this degree of duplication with programs at UW-Madison and elsewhere in the UW System, I believe a BS degree in Microbiology at the UW-Milwaukee would be beneficial for the System and the State of Wisconsin. Microbiology training is one of the core competencies required for the high technology, biological-based industries that are growing in Wisconsin. There appears to be demand for more students with this type of training than we are producing today."

3.4 Student Demand - Future Enrollment

There is a substantial demand for the microbiology major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Over the last five years, ten percent of Biological Sciences Department majors have chosen the microbiology option. The number of microbiology majors is expected to increase with the implementation of an independent major. This educational opportunity will be more visible to prospective students and will make the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee a destination campus for microbiology.

The number of majors in the Biological Sciences Department and the microbiology option is tabulated below:

3.5 Collaborative or Alternative Program Exploration

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a destination for many transfer students, especially from within the University of Wisconsin System. It should be possible for students to initiate their studies at another campus, especially at one of the University of Wisconsin Colleges, and complete the B.S. with the microbiology major upon transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It is expected that graduates of this program will enter graduate study, some at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Microbiologists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee participate in collaborative research with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, and in industry. Students who participate in independent study may participate in this collaborative research. Through the Biotechnology Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, further inter-institutional collaboration is being explored.

4. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION

4.1 Objectives

Consistent with the objectives of the Department of Biological Sciences, the objective of the proposed program is to prepare students, in the context of a liberal arts program, for advanced studies in microbiology or careers in the growing field of biotechnology. The program is designed to produce students able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

• students will acquire a solid foundation in microbiology and allied sciences that will enable graduates to enter graduate school or employment in microbiology/biotechnology;
• students will acquire strong skills in oral and written communication, experimental design, and critical thinking.

Students working in this field, whether in graduate studies or in employment, must be able to gather data according to an appropriate experimental design, to analyze those data, and to communicate clearly the results of that analysis. The liberal arts degree provides a context in which significant collateral training in oral and written communication as well as analytical skills occurs.

4.2 Curriculum:

Required Courses in Biological Sciences

Required Courses Outside of Biological Sciences

Microbiology Elective Courses:
Students must take a minimum of 6 credits from among the following courses:

Model Four-Year Program
(required science and math courses)

4.3 Interrelationship with Other Curricula

The new microbiology major will complement the Clinical Lab Sciences Program's submajor in public health microbiology. While the public health microbiology submajor will focus on the health-related aspects of microbiology, the microbiology major will cover microbiology and biotechnology broadly. Most microorganisms do not cause human disease. Although the proposed microbiology curriculum will cover pathogenic microbes, it will focus on the basic biology of microorganisms and how experimentation has formed the basis of this knowledge. Areas studied will include microbial processes in biotechnology, the effect of microorganisms on the environment, and the use of microorganisms as model systems to understand the basic processes that take place in all living organisms.

Students earning the B.S. with the microbiology major will complete 18 credits in chemistry. Students may earn a minor in chemistry by choosing Chem 501 or 601 from the list of electives and also taking either analytical chemistry or physical chemistry.

4.4 Method of Assessment or Evaluation

As noted in section 4.1, two primary learning outcomes have been defined for the microbiology major:

• students will acquire a solid foundation in microbiology and allied sciences that will enable graduates to enter graduate school or employment in microbiology/biotechnology;
• students will acquire strong skills in oral and written communication, experimental design, and critical thinking.

The program's success in meeting these goals will be assessed by compiling and evaluating data collected in student portfolios consisting of exams from required microbiology courses and reports prepared in the capstone courses. For students completing internships, the Department will collect reports on the internship experience from both students and employers. Exit interviews will be conducted with graduating students. Records of addresses (including electronic) will be maintained so that future tracking of graduates and their subsequent involvement in graduate education and/or work in microbiology-related careers will be possible as a method of assessing the value of the program to the students. The University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee's Office of Alumni Relations provides names and contact information for graduates, although it groups graduates by major, with no indication of major option. Creation of a distinct microbiology major will facilitate identifying the students engaged in the program. All of this information will be reviewed annually by the program faculty committee in order to monitor and evaluate the program.

The microbiology major also will be evaluated according to the goals established by the Department for all of its majors (see attached goals statement). Department-level assessment activities are handled by the Chair, who may delegate various responsibilities as needed. For general assessment of its majors, the Department uses an anonymous survey of graduating seniors and collects portfolio materials.

Through the increased contact with area companies, the program will be able to assess the need for future curricular adjustments. Feedback from these employers will be used to evaluate not only the technical/scientific background but also oral and written communication and creative thinking skills of program graduates.

If assessment indicates a need for modifications, minor changes in course content will be made by the instructors, as needed. More extensive changes in course syllabi or in program structure will be initiated formally through departmental action, according to departmental and UWM governance procedures. Because communication and critical thinking skills are College-wide requirements, any problems in these skills identified in the assessment process will be addressed in consultation with the College of Letters and Science curriculum committee.

4.5 Accreditation Requirement

The American Society for Microbiology does not offer curricular accreditation, but the proposed major is consistent with the guidelines of the Society (available at http://www.asm.org/Education/index.asp?bid=10054). Additionally, students who complete the major will meet the educational requirements for certification as a registered microbiologist in the National Registry of Microbiologists (http://www.asm.org/Academy/index.asp?bid=4213).

4.6 Diversity

Consistent with the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "to further academic and professional opportunities at all levels for women, minority, part-time, and financially or educationally disadvantaged students," individuals of diverse backgrounds will be encouraged to pursue studies in the microbiology major. The problem of attracting and retaining women and minority students in science and engineering fields has been the subject of a great deal of concern and effort. (See the 2004 National Science Foundation report, "Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering," at the following web site: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/wmpd/start.htm.) The problem has not been as pronounced in the biological sciences as it has been for other science and engineering fields.

Among the graduates of the current microbiology option, 45% (20 of 44) are women, and there is a number of minority students. The increased visibility of the program resulting from the creation of the major will make it more likely that students from diverse backgrounds become aware of its existence.

The College of Letters and Science, of which the microbiology major is a part, requires all students to take a cultural diversity course that focuses on the life experiences of one or more of America's minority groups. In addition, students may touch on diversity issues in the context of their capstone courses.

Of the ten faculty members who will be involved in the proposed program, two are female, two are Asian, and five are immigrants to the USA. The visibility of female and minority faculty members will help the Department continue to attract a diverse student population.

4.7 Strengths or Unique Features

This degree is built on the strength of a core of ten faculty members who are working at the forefront of microbiological research. In the last five years, these faculty members have obtained extramural research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and private foundations. Additional strength is provided by other faculty members in the Department of Biological Sciences and also in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who have related interests.

4.8 Career Advising

Each student in the major will be assigned a faculty advisor. The advisors will assist students enrolled in the program with the development of career goals and the selection of appropriate courses to further those goals. Additionally, the capstone experience in Bio Sci 495, 671, or 698 will provide opportunities for career advising. Finally, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Career Development Center will assist graduates seeking employment.

4.9 Outreach

Faculty members who will teach in this major engage in public service in many ways including offering lectures in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's "Science Bag" public lecture series. Faculty members and students participate in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's annual Open House. The Department will establish relationships with scientists in biotechnology companies in order to create opportunities for students to serve in internships. Additionally, as the program's visibility improves, there likely will be more opportunities to work directly with companies to address their needs.

4.10 Integration of Appropriate Technology and Instructional Design

There is no specific computer technology that is unique to microbiology as distinct from other areas of biological sciences. Technology involving scientific instruments is an integral part of the major. Students will be trained in the use of this instrumentation in Bio Sci 539, 580, and 698. The Department of Biological Sciences has two computer labs that are used for instruction in various courses that will be included in the microbiology major. Microbiology instructors use the Desire to Learn program to make class notes and other resources available online for students. (See also section 6.2.)

4.11 Collaborative and Distance Education

As mentioned earlier, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a destination for many transfer students, especially from within the University of Wisconsin System. It will be possible for students to initiate their studies at another campus, especially within the University of Wisconsin Colleges, and complete the B.S. with a major in microbiology upon transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Program will work with interested campuses to develop programs of study for the first two years at those institutions that will allow smooth transfer into the microbiology major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Upper-division science classes in general, and laboratory classes in particular, are not well suited for internet delivery. There are no plans, therefore, to deliver any part of this program through distance education. However, the internet will supplement in-person instruction. This will be facilitated by the Learning Technologies Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Additionally, it should be possible to provide enhanced educational opportunities through collaboration with regional biotechnology companies. For example, one course that is elective in the program (Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology) regularly invites outside speakers, and the class takes a field trip to a local biotechnology company.

4.12 Access for Individuals with Disabilities

The Department of Biological Sciences is accessible to students with physical disabilities. Most teaching labs are equipped with ADA compliant fume hoods and benches. Wheel chair-accessible entrances and rest rooms are available. The Department of Biological Sciences works with the Student Accessibility Center to make courses available to students with learning disabilities.

5. PERSONNEL

5.1 Biological Sciences Faculty Members Participating Directly in the Program

The following ten faculty members in the Department will be participating directly in the program (abbreviated vitae are appended at the end of this report):

Yi-Qiang Cheng, Assistant Professor
Mary Lynne Collins, Professor
Uwe Deppenmeier, Associate Professor
Steven Forst, Associate Professor
Sergei Kuchin, Assistant Professor
Mark McBride, Professor
Daad Saffarini, Associate Professor
Douglas Steeber, Assistant Professor
Charles Wimpee, Associate Professor
Ching-Hong Yang, Assistant Professor

5.2 Advisory Faculty

There are no formal advisory faculty members at this time. Faculty members in the Departments of Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and Chemistry and Biochemistry will teach courses in their departments that are required for the program. It is possible that some of the scientists who oversee student interns will be appointed to adjunct faculty positions.

5.3 Additional Faculty Requirements

No new faculty members are required in order to initiate the program. With the exception of the new "Independent Study in Microbiology" course (Bio Sci 698), courses needed for the program currently are being taught by existing faculty/staff members. (Students currently do independent study under the general independent study course [Bio Sci 699].)

5.4 Academic Staff

A non-teaching academic staff line for an Instructional Laboratory Manager I currently supports the microbiology curriculum. A teaching academic staff person will be required to support advising if the enrollment in this program grows as expected. If hired, this individual also will coordinate the internship in biotechnology (Bio Sci 495).

5.5 Classified staff

Classified staff members within the Department of Biological Sciences that currently support the microbiology option will support the major in microbiology.

5.6 Training and Support (Distance Education)

Because laboratory work is integral to this major, there are no plans to develop the program for distance education.

6. ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

6.1. Library Resources

The existing facilities of the Golda Meir Library, including electronic journals and interlibrary loan services, are adequate for the proposed major. In addition, electronic access to all journals of the American Society for Microbiology is free six months after publication.

6.2 Additional Support Resources

The Department of Biological Sciences has three well-equipped laboratories for instruction in microbiology. In addition to "wet" labs, the Department has two instructional computer labs. Through research in Bio Sci 698, students will have access to state-of-the art technologies in faculty and shared research labs.

6.3 Access to Library and Learning Resources (Distance Education)

Not applicable.

6.4 Access to Student Services (Distance Education)

Not applicable.

6.5 Technical Support (Distance Education)

Not applicable.

7. FACILITIES - EQUIPMENT

7.1 Capital Resources--Existing Facilities and Capital Equipment

Three instructional labs are dedicated to the microbiology curriculum. One of these, temporarily closed due to the remodeling of the Lapham Hall North Wing, will be available when that project is complete in 2006. Instruction also will be supported by the newly remodeled Biotechnology Facility located in the West Wing of Lapham Hall. This facility houses over $1 million in shared equipment that will be used in advanced laboratory courses and in student research projects.

7.2 Capital Budget Needs--Additional Facilities Required

Three additional research labs and shared equipment labs that will support this curriculum are included in the remodeling plan for Lapham Hall North Wing. This project already is in process.

Some of the equipment in the instructional labs will need to be replaced. Laboratory modernization funds and/or extramural grants will support this.

The Department disposes of waste according to procedures specified by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety. No additional budget or facilities are required for this process.

7.3 Clinical Facilities

Not applicable

7.4 Security (Distance Education)

Not applicable.

8. FINANCE

8.1 Operating Budget Requirements

There are no additional funding requirements specific to the proposed microbiology major. The proposed major will replace the microbiology option and will utilize the resources currently available to the option.

As indicated in the table below, these resources already are in place. (See attached budget.)

While it is anticipated that this program will grow (see section 3.4), the effect will be felt primarily in slightly increased enrollments in relevant courses and in increased faculty advising. For both of these increases, there currently is adequate capacity. The effect on support staff will be negligible.

8.2 Operating Budget--S&E Requirements

No additional funds required, see attached budget.

8.3 Operating Budget Reallocation

No reallocation of funds will be required, see attached budget.

8.4 Extramural Research Support

A five-year history of the extramural support for the faculty members directly involved in the proposed microbiology major is shown below. Extramural funding is expected to increase. Four of the faculty members in the program (Cheng, Deppenmeier, Kuchin, and Yang) are new to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; they are expected to obtain additional extramural funding when their research programs are fully launched.

Ongoing extramural funding contributes directly to the quality of the degree. Students enrolled in the major will gain experience with state of the art instruments and current techniques through the required laboratory courses and through the optional research component of the major.

Collins

NIH, R15GM51006, Assembly of membrane protein complexes, 9/1/02 - 8/31/05, sole PI Collins, $146,584

NIH, R21GM57322, Development of a host/vector system for expression of membrane proteins, 6/1/98 - 5/31/02, sole PI Collins, $199,192

NIH, R15GM51006, Molecular Basis of Membrane Formation, 6/1/97-5/31/01, sole PI Collins, $107,094

State of Wisconsin, Dept. of Natural Resources, New Approaches to the Assessment of Microbes in Groundwater: Application to Monitoring Bioremediation and Detection of Pathogens, 7/1/00 - 6/30/02, sole PI Collins, $67,742

State of Wisconsin, Water Resources Center, UW-Madison, Monitoring: Evaluation of the abundance, diversity, and activity of methanotrophic populations in groundwater 7/1/98-6/30/00, PI- Collins, coPI Remsen, $49,787 (direct costs plus fringe benefits)

UW System Applied Research Program, New System for the production of commercially important proteins, 7/1/02-6/30/03, sole PI Collins, $48,092

Forst

NSF, IBN-0416747, Development, structure, and function of the bacterial symbiont colonization site in steinernematid nematodes, 7/15/04-6/30/07, PIs - S. Forst, H. Goodrich-Blair, P. Stock, ($209,916 to S. Forst)

USDA, EF-0333209, Complete genome sequence and annotation of two entomopathogenic symbionts of Xenorhabdus, 1/1/04-12/31/05, PI - B. Goldman, CoPIs S. Forst, H. Goodrich-Blair, B. Goodner, B. Barbazuk, Total award $499,827 (Award to S. Forst: $8,330)

NIH, GM58392, Multifunctional role of OmpR in Xenorhabdus nematophila, 4/1/98-3/31/02, $107,000

McBride

NSF, MCB-01-30967, Mechanism of Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility, 6/02-5/05 sole PI McBride, $422,000

NSF, MCB-97-27825, Genetic analysis of Flavobacterium johnsoniae (Cytophaga johnsonae) gliding motility, 6/98-5/02, sole PI McBride, $330,000

Shaw Scientist Award, Milwaukee Foundation, 7/95-6/05, sole PI McBride, $175,000;

Saffarini

Department of Energy, Anaerobic Fe(III) reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens: Analysis of the electron transport chain. 8/1/00-7/31/2003.,PI D.A. Saffarini , coPI Kristene Surerus. $276,000.

NSF, Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Anaerobic Iron-Dependent Respiration in Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1, 1/1/1997- 31/7/2001, sole PI D.A.Saffarini, $300,000

NSF, National Science Foundation. Molecular and genetic analysis of anaerobic iron-dependent respiration, 6/1/2000-8/31/2000, sole PI D. Saffarini. $4000 (REU supplement).

Steeber (UWM since 2003)

NIH, Flow Effects on Endothelial-Monocyte Interactions, 7/04-6/07, subcontract to D. Steeber, PI G. Truskey, ($30,165 to Steeber at UWM)

Wimpee

NSF, LEXEN: Life in Freshwater Hydrothermal Vent Systems, 1/10-1/04, PI C. Aguilar, Co-PIs R. Cuhel, R. Paddock, C. Wimpee, $518, 485.

Yang (UWM since 2003)

NSF, Genome-enabled analyses of natural populations of pathogens on natural hosts, 2004-2007 PI, A. Charkowski, coPIs, J. L. Dangl, S. R. Grant, N. T. Perna, C.-H. Yang ($ 100,000 to Yang at UWM).

NSF, Microarray/Mutation studies to identify new virulence genes in Erwinia chrysanthemi, 2002-2004, PI. D. A. Cooksey, coPI C.-H. Yang, $111,621 to Yang at UWM.

8.5 Costing Methodology (Service Based Pricing and/or Distance Education)

Not applicable.

8.6 Commitment to Maintain Program (Service Based Pricing and/or Distance Education)

Not applicable.

Upon successful completion of the major, our students will be able to:

1. describe and apply a broad base of biological information and concepts including societal and ethical questions related to biology.
   
   
2. apply the scientific method to biological questions and demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate experimental design, as well as to create and interpret numerical and graphical data used in sophisticated research (e.g., as published in peer-reviewed journals).
   
   
3. use diverse field and laboratory skills to investigate scientific questions. This includes an understanding of and proficiency in the use and application of an array of biological instruments and procedures.
   
   
4. use available resources (e.g., the library, computer databases, etc.) to retrieve scientific information.
   
   
5. synthesize, integrate and communicate scientific information to other scientists, students and the general public.
   
   
6. demonstrate an appreciation of the patterns and processes of life and clearly articulate why evolution is the unifying concept in biology